Personal injury news

Asbestosis compensation claims could be made by clubbers

A nightclub in Norfolk risked thousands of peoples' safety by knowingly exposing them to asbestos dust.

In years to come clubbers and members of staff at the Atlantis Arena in Yarmouth could find themselves making asbestosis compensation claims after being exposed to poisonous materials between October 2004 and November 2005.

Asbestos specialists, First Choice, recommended that the club be closed down in 2004 after finding piles of dust at the newly renovated building. But this warning was ignored and the club went on to make a turnover of £2 million whilst it remained open for another 11 months.

At Norwich Crown Court, recorder Guy Ayres fined the operator of the club, Towering Leisure, £90,000 as they had known about the dangers of asbestos but continued to leave the club open, endangering the safety of employees and paying clubbers.

He said, "The level of potential harm was high. They could have closed the club to do the necessary work, but they decided profits came first.

"The directors received a comprehensive report that described some areas as being high risk. It seems to me that having read the report they made a conscious decision to carry on operating the club."

Prosecuting, Mathew McNiff commented on the danger of future asbestosis compensation claims being made by people harmed by the asbestos dust.

He said, "There is a substantial risk of death. Were warnings ignored? Yes.

"The report said that it was high risk and there needed to be urgent action made for the removal of that material. However, despite this, not one of these steps was taken."

Asbestos has since been removed from Atlantis Arena nightclub at the cost of £300,000 but there is still the danger that some people may suffer from asbestos-related diseases and be forced to make future asbestosis compensation claims.